Source : Perth Now news
Child Safety workers have told a coronial inquest they overrode repeated hospital warnings that eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs faced an “extremely high risk” of death.
Elizabeth struhs, 8, died in January 2022 after her parents, Jason Richard Struhs and Kerrie Elizabeth Struhs, withdrew her lifesaving insulin under the belief God would heal her of the incurable condition.
The family were part of a Toowoomba-based cult known as “the Saints” – a religious sect rejecting modern medicine and spoke in tongues – with Jason a new convert at the time of her death.
Both of Elizabeth’s parents and 12 other members of the cult are serving prison sentences after being convicted of her manslaughter.
Years earlier in 2019, Kerrie and Jason were convicted for neglecting her medical needs after Elizabeth was rushed to hospital, “minutes” away from death, not breathing and severely unwell with undiagnosed diabetes complications, the inquest was told.
Kerrie did not want Elizabeth sent to hospital – instead believing God would heal her – but Jason intervened at the last second.
At the time, he was not a member of the Saints and did not follow their practices.
On Thursday, Child Safety employees involved in Elizabeth’s case in 2019 gave evidence to a coronial inquest in Brisbane on how it was decided she would return home to her parents.
The court was told Elizabeth’s Child Safety case workers spoke to Jason, who claimed he would fight for Elizabeth against Kerrie’s beliefs.
However, another person close to the family reportedly told the officers they believed he could be swayed.
Elizabeth’s estranged adult sister Jayde Struhs also believed her father would ensure Elizabeth was safe “no matter what”, but noted her own family struggles since leaving the church.
The following day, Child Safety decided an intervention with parental agreement would be the best course of action, against the strong advise of her treating team at Queensland Children’s Hospital.
“The QCH is not agreeing with our assessment and have been very vocal about it, I feel that removing her would be more detrimental and we currently have the father stepping up,” one safety officer recorded at a meeting regarding Elizabeth’s care on August 28, 2019.
An IPA is a short-term, intensive protection arrangement where parents work alongside Child Safety to keep their child safe at home without a need for a court order.
QCH doctors and staff repeatedly emailed, called and notified Child Safety of their concern for Elizabeth’s safety if residing with her mother, claiming she was at “extremely high risk” and could quickly become ill or die if left without medicine.
A senior team leader, who was connected to the case intermittently, said she agreed with the IPA only with the understanding Elizabeth and Jason would be living separately from Kerrie; however, the final plan approved Elizabeth living with both parents.
The team leader only became aware of the change of plans later that month when approving a safety assessment for the family, noting at this point she was not a decision maker in Elizabeth’s case and could not alter the plan.
She did not recall if she alerted her superiors to her concerns.
Another senior team leader supervising Elizabeth’s immediate case worker said she understood
Jason and Elizabeth would be living at an external residence until, two days before Elizabeth was discharged from hospital, she was told the plan had changed.
She claimed the child safety officer overseeing the case spoke with Jason on August 9 who told him living outside of the family home would cause Elizabeth severe emotional distress and further logistic issues.
It was then the plan was changed and Elizabeth was sent home to live with both Kerrie and Jason, the child safety officer noting Jason was adamant he wouldn’t bend to Kerrie’s wishes.
The court also saw evidence from case worker notes Jason had wavered on his resolve to live outside the home, in the best interest of Elizabeth, while she was in hospital.
The coroner’s court was told one child safety officer completed an initial safety assessment two days after Elizabeth was sent to hospital in a near-death, comatose state.
The officer told the court she declared Elizabeth ‘safe’ under the instruction of another person and wasn’t the decision maker, but could not remember who guided her.
However, her team leader at the time said she believed the assessment was decided on jointly by the officer and another team member.
Reflecting on the decision, the officer said it did not take into consideration both parents and, if it did, Elizabeth would not have been marked safe – due to Kerrie’s religious beliefs at the time.
The inquest continues on Friday and into next week.
